The Islamic State: Libya as a new stronghold?

“A lot of things need to happen before Libyans either side have the capability and capacity to take action against these radical groups”

Professor Dirk Vandewalle (Dartmouth College) analyzes the probability of the two competing governments in Libya uniting against the Islamic State. In November, ISIS established its first stronghold in Libya’s North East, in the city of Derna. Amidst the chaos of ongoing war between the two governments, Professor Vandewalle questions, however, whether these rebel groups who claim affiliation to ISIS actually demonstrate the same level of organization.

The interview was conducted on January 23, 2015. Professor Vandewalle visited the Netherlands to partake in a panel on ‘Guns and Borders: Libya’s Arms Bazaar Fueling Conflicts in the Arab World’ as part of the Henriette van Lynden lecture series organized by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.